Chair base



Feb. 22, 1944. G.' D` woon ETAL 2,342,233

` CHAIR BASE Filed Mam 16, 1942 i ZOQ-@VL/y/ /2 /0/ /'fd w 1 552 /Oz TfrcLSJfJ/ 116675. i@ vzw Patented Feb. 22, 1944i vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHAIR BASE tion of Indiana Application March 16, 1942, Serial No. 434,908

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in chair bases and it consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The base with which the present invention is more especially concerned is of the kind used in oce chairs and generally includes four legs which radiate from a hub structure adapted to receive the seat supporting spindle or post of the chair.

In some chair bases of this kind the legs and the shell for the hub are made as a casting. While such a base has the advantage of being strong and rigid, it is quite expensive to make and it increases the weight of the chair as a whole so that it cannot be easily moved about. In other chair bases of this kind legs are made of wood and radiate from and are fastened at their inner end in recesses in a relatively heavy metal hub. In the latter type of base, after a period of use, a looseness often develops in the base so that objec; tionable squeaks occur.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a chair base of this kind wherein it is practical to employ wooden legs and which are so relatively arranged and secured together at their l inner ends as to mutually brace one another, whereby it is possible to reduce the amount of metal necessary in the hub of the base to a minimum, Without a sacrice of strength, rigidity or stability in the base.

Another object of the invention is to provide a base structure for a chair which, though relatively light in weight, is indeed strong and will not develop looseness and squeaks in the hub portion thereof.

Also, it is an object of the invention to provide a base structure of kind wherein the inner end portions of the legs thereof are not fixed in a hub, but are grouped in encircling relation about the center or axis of the base, and in which each is secured to at least two other legs so that a strong, lightweight, economical structure is produced.

The above mentioned objects of the invention, as wel] as others, together with the several advantages of the invention will more fully appear as the specification proceeds.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is atop plan view of a chair base embodying one form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the base.

r. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through a Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View through the hub portion of the base, on the scale of Fig. 3, as taken on the `line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Referring now in detail to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawing, the base includes a plurality of vertically edgewise disposed legs lQ-I i), each made of wood and each of which includes an inner or hub end ll and an outer or caster end I2. As shown in Fig. 1, there are four such legs and the inner end portions of all of the legs are grouped in non-radial, encir cling relation about the center of the base so as to there leave a rectangular space or chamber I3 (see Fig. 4). In this instance, the inner end portion of each leg has at vertical sides and a flat vertical end, as best appears in Fig. 2.

In the vertical end of each leg is secured a plurality of pin-like members Ill-M which extend into associated recesses l5 in one side of the inner end portion H of the adjacent or next leg Il). Preferably to save weight, said members Ill-I4 are wooden dowels and are securely glued in place. With the arrangement mentioned, the inner end portions of all of the legs coact to form a hollow hub I6 that encloses the space I3 before referred to.

At the top and bottom of the hub are stiff metal plates l1 and I8 respectively, each having a center hole I9 adapted to receive the seat supporting spindle or post (not shown) of the chair. These plates, which substantially close the top and bottom ends of the space I 3, each includes a collar 20 on the outer face thereof about said hole to provide ample bearing for said spindle or post.

The said plates are each of an area substantially equalling that of the hollow hub I6 and bolts 2| pass through the like corners of both of said plates and edgewise through the inner end portion H of each leg Il). Also, each plate is further secured to the respective inner end portions H-I l ofthe legs, by wood screws 22.

It is to be noted that the members I4|4 not only function as shear resisting members, between the meeting surfaces of adjacent legs, so as to resist vertical separation between the inner end portions of the said legs, but due to their gluedin connection with the portions Il of the legs, they also assist in resisting an outward spreading or horizontal separation of the legs.

The plates l1 and I8 rigidly secure the inner end portions of the legs together and -this against both a downward or a lateral pressure tending to a separation or a spreading of the legs. Thus a light weight and substantially all-wood construction is provided, which is strong and rigid. Also,

by the arrangement of parts mentioned, each leg is securely fastened to two other legs whereby they mutually coact in bracing each other so that looseness and squeaks cannot readily develop in the base.

While in describing the invention, we have referred in detail to the form, arrangement andA construction of the parts involved, the same is to be considered only -in the illustrative sense so that we do not wish to be limited thereto except as may be speciiically set forth in the appended claims.

We claim as our invention:

1. A chair base embodying therein a plurality of tangentially arranged legs, the inner end portions of all of said legs being disposed in encircling relation about the center of the base to there form a hollow hub, a dowel-like member projecting longitudinally outward from the inner extremity of each leg and extending into an opening in the side of the inner end portion of an adjacent leg, reinforcing plates one of which has a spindle opening therein engaged on the top and bottom edges of the inner end portions of all said legs forming said hollow hub, and bolt-like members each passing through both reinforcing plates and lil edgewise through the inner end portion of an associated leg and cooperating with said dowellike members in holding said legs against both a horizontal and a vertical separation.

2. A chair base embodying therein four legs arranged as two pair of oppositely disposed parallel legs, with the legs of one pair arranged at a right angle to the legs of the other pair, the inner end portions of all of said legs being disposed about the center of the base to form a square hollow hub, a dowel-like member projecting longitudinally outward from the inner extremity of each leg and extending into an openin-g in the side of the inner end portion of an adjacent leg, reinforcing plates, one of Which has a spindle opening therein engaged on the top and bottom edges of the inner end portions of all of said legs forming said hollow hub, and bolt-like members each passing through both reinforcing plates and edgewise through the inner end portion of an associated leg and cooperating with said dowellike members in holding said legs against both a horizontal and a vertical separation.

GLENN D. WOOD. TORRIS H. ALFREDS. 

